MONSON – When Cameron M. Keating was looking for an Eagle Scout project to do, he remembered running on the trails behind Monson High School, and how one could not be used due to storm damage.

So with the help of his father, grandfather and some friends, Keating, 18, a member of Troop 168, tackled the storm-damaged trail over several days this past spring, clearing away fallen trees and debris from snowstorms and a microburst.

They spent six to eight hours a day on the project, beginning after Keating finished school and staying until dark, using weed whackers and chainsaws to clear a trail approximately ¼ of a mile long and 10 feet wide.

Keating graduated from Monson High School in June. He is now a freshman at Westfield State University.

Keating, who ran cross country for Monson High School, said it will give the runners another path to use.

“It was a really good experience. I think the project worked out perfectly for me and the school,” Cameron said.

Benjamin Teerlinck, of Monsonsubmitted photo

He said he expects the Eagle Scout ceremony sometime in December. An Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in Boy Scouts, and a service project is one of the requirements.

He said he joined cub scouts because he loved the outdoors and camping.

His father, Matthew J. Keating, said Cameron directed them on what to do to restore the trail. The elder Keating said there was so much debris “you wouldn’t even know it was ever a path.”

High School Principal Andrew Linkenhoker said Keating approached him last year about the trail project and he fully supported him.

“Our trails have had some difficult years between washing out from rain or fallen trees due to the October snowstorm. This results in our cross country teams struggling to clear the trails in preparation of the upcoming season,” Linkenhoker wrote in an email.

Linkenhoker said having Keating volunteer to fix the trails was truly a godsend.

“It demonstrated his willingness to help an activity that is often overshadowed by more popular athletic teams. I commend Keating for his hard work and desire to give back to the school community,” Linkenhoker said.

Scoutmaster Steven Teerlinck said the project was accepted by ranking officials from the Western Massachusetts Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

Teerlinck noted two other Eagle projects in the works by scouts in his troop – one from Monson High School senior Thomas A. Brown, 17, that will improve a trail at Rogers Field at Mount Ella by planting trees, seeding grass and installing picnic benches.

The other is from his son Benjamin, a junior at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn., who will make signs to mark all 18 holes at the Crane Hill Disc Golf Course in Wilbraham.

Teerlinck said becoming an Eagle Scout shows a certain dedication that one does not always see in today’s youth. A lot of kids drop out of scouting once they reach high school because other interests take over like sports, girls and cars. So it says something about someone’s character to stick with it, Teerlinck said.

Ben Teerlinck,16, said he got the idea to make the signs from a friend. He said he played a round of disc golf (disc golf is similar to traditional golf except it is played with discs) at the course and noticed the lack of signage at each hole. There used to be signs nailed to the trees, but he said they are barely recognizable now after being exposed to the elements.

Ben Teerlinck plans to create new signs out of wood to mark the holes. He said he will laminate them and cover them with plexiglass to protect them. He also will recommend a shooting pattern for the discs that he will include on the signs.

“It’s still a bit in the planning stage. I met with the people who run the course . . . I’m definitely hoping to get it done before winter comes,” he said. “I’m looking forward to helping out the disc golf course.”

Thomas Brown, of Monsonsubmitted photo

Brown said Mount Ella used to be completely covered with trees, then the June 2011 tornado ripped them all down. He said he is clearing a half-mile hiking trail there, where he will install the picnic benches and plant trees.

He's been working with Replanting Monson Tree Committee's Leslie A. Duthie to plant two or three Elm trees on the property, and hopes to get the project completed before winter. The committee received grant money for replanting projects.

He said the spot has the potential to become as big a draw as Peaked Mountain, another popular hiking area.

On Sept. 7, Brown and fellow troop members were at the site, clearing the trail of rocks, sticks and debris.

"It's an excellent view of the town up there," Brown said.

He said he became involved with scouting as a second-grader, when he was a tiger cub.